Al-Azhar blocks Egyptian MPs proposed check for divorced women

The female MP who is also a law professor argues that wives at home should have a law guaranteeing them a "safe future" in the event of divorce. But for al-Azhar University " the inheritance of women is stipulated by the Quran and Sunnah and is defined by Sharia law, there is no room for further diligence in this case."

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Recognizing a divorced woman part of her husband's salary and half of his wealth after his death. There are two proposals advanced by an Egyptian parliamentarian, Amina Nossair, professor of comparative law theory at al-Azhar University, thus re-opening the debate between Islamic scholars in Egypt on women's rights and inheritance in Islam.

Nossair argues that wives at home should have a law guaranteeing them a "secure future" in divorce, as they have spent their lives "serving a man at home." So, if a man divorces after five years of marriage, the woman should be entitled to five percent of his monthly income. The percentage should be increased depending on the amount of years a woman spent as a housewife during the marriage. "Many Egyptian women - she said - spend their lives cooking, cleaning and raising their children at home and in a minute everything is left behind because of divorce. Millions of women end up on the street without a source of income. These women deserve a clear law that secures their finances and the future. "

Nossair bases her statements on her study of Islamic teachings and writings, which give women the legal and social rights they need. "I recognize – she added - all new ideas regarding women's rights or their future, provided they do not depart from the teachings of Islamic law, and my proposal does not."

Her proposal, however, was not welcomed by Al Azhar, which in a statement issued by Omar Hamroush, secretary general of the Committee on Religious Affairs, argued that "the inheritance of women is stipulated by the Quran and Sunnah and is defined by Sharia law, there is no room for further diligence in this case."

• Egypt
• Islam
• Divorce
• Women's Rights
• al-Azhar